Secrets of Spring
by SpiritofSpring
Summary: She was condemned. Where she lived was not a home but a prison and she lived with the devil. Sakura can't escape from her hell alone, will Team 7 ever notice her pain? Rewritten from Her Lost Hope.SasxSaku.Check it out if you want a tale of heartache...
1. Red Angel Wings

**Author's Note:**

**This fanfic is an alteration of my previous fan fiction Her Lost Hope.** Although the first chapter is rather the same as in Her Lost Hope all other chapters vary and ultimately this fanfic follows a different story line.

Erm, just so you know I don't like the 3rd Hokage, so lets just say he died early and Tsunade became Hokage when the rookie nine were about 8 years old.

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Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Naruto…or Sakura….or Sasuke, but I do own the plot line –YAY GO ME!

This genre should really be a horror, but don't worry it will get less horrific and more dramatic and overall just plain brilliant.

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**Chapter 1: Red Angel Wings**

**Sakura's POV**

Shadows and darkness engulfed her. She felt so alone. When would she wake up from this never-ending nightmare? Tears stain her bruised cheeks, as she chokes on the blood pouring from her mouth. Her lips are painted blood red. Poor helpless child.

Today was like every other day in her life, being crushed and beaten by her uncle, he enjoys it, it's his favourite type of sport to destroy the pure hearted and innocent. Sakura's whole body ached as she once again pulled into his iron grip. She hated him with her whole being.

"You fucking bitch, you don't deserve to breathe this air," he fumed as he threw by body against the cold decaying kitchen floor, "you make me feel sick just looking at you".

He was sick in the head.

He was plagued by nightmares and by hurting those weaker than himself allowed him to feel at ease with himself again. Guilt was not something he had ever felt.

He leered over her defenceless body, his cold green eyes bore into her soul. Those green eyes were the only known resemblance between Sakura and her Uncle the same green that Sakura had grown to hate. Sakura's vision started to haze, the overwhelming smell of alcohol from his breath soaked into her. It sickened her.

"…please…" she whispered, "…Uncle, don't…"

A grin spread across his face, he started to laugh like a maniac. He was a maniac. She tried to sit up and edge herself towards the kitchens back door to escape from this hell, but her body told her otherwise. It wouldn't move. Her sides were tender; she could feel that a couple of my ribs had been broken.

His laughing stopped.

It pained her to watch him as he turned and headed towards the fridge. He opened several more cans of beer and drained them in one go until he was once again intoxicated.

Alcoholic

Abusive

Bastard

He snorted, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He turned his body so that he faced her again; she shuddered staring at his intoxicated form. He staggered back towards her, and before she knew it, she was ripped up off the floor by her tattered hair. Long hair was useful to hide bruises.

His nails clawed into her head.

He was a demon.

Her body felt like it was on fire, the pain was becoming unbearable. She tried to struggle from his grip, but my attempts failed. He was far too strong.

"You should have never been born, no one in this world wants you" he slurred into her face,

"…so why are you still here?, ha and you can't even run…because you're the only one who knows, so I have to keep an eye on you at all times so you don't spill our secret"

It was his secret; he was the one who committed the sin. She was only his witness.

He brought up his large hand and placed it on her cheek almost tenderly as if he was about to stroke it. Her dull green eyes watered demons do not do tender, he dug his nails into her pale cheek, and ripped his claws down her face, like he was carving a piece of artwork.

Blooded swelled up and flowed down her cheek until finally gathering in small pools on her collar bone. He smirked at the pain he had caused her. With his right hand still clawing into her hair, she was roughly dragged across the old wooden floor towards the cellar door in the kitchen.

She knew what was about to happen next, and braced herself ready for the impact, after all this is how she spends most of her nights. The old cellar door was slammed open almost braking from the shear force. Without using much of his strength, he tossed the rag doll of a child into the darkness.

Sakura's body hit every step of the stairs painfully hard.

When she reached the bottom, her head slammed against the cold hard floor. Soon she was unconscious with her blood pooling around her. It flowed from her and displayed itself like red wings.

Red angel wings

* * *

**The Next Day:**

It was hard to breathe.

The cold bit at her skin as she struggled to sit up, but somehow she managed. Somehow she always manages. But this time something didn't feel right; suddenly she lurched forward and coughed up a red substance.

Blood

She smirked, what else would it be? Finishing, she started to feel dizzy. She knew she had defiantly lost too much blood last night, he was defiantly more aggressive then normal; perhaps he had lost his job.

Sigh

She should have known better, even if it was a new village, nothing would change about her Uncle. Moving villages didn't really matter to her, it's not like she had any friends at her old home in all the eight years of her life. Every place she lived at seemed the same.

She was always alone.

Although she would never admit the houses she lived in were nothing like a home to her. A home was somewhere you're supposed to feel safe. A home is something you share with your family. It was suppose to be a sanctuary.

She had none of those feelings here. Where she lived was not a home it was a prison.

In her old schools no one talked to her, she always wondered if she had some invisible sign above her that only others could read that told them to stay away from her. But that's just silly, isn't it? The only emotion she received from others was pity. They would only pity her with those knowing eyes. But how the hell would they know how she lived? They knew nothing. She hated their pity; she didn't want or need it.

It was her unnatural pink hair that made her a prime target for bullies. They all thought she dyed it to attract attention. Morons.

The only thing she would miss about that school from the last village she lived in was a boy called Gaara. He seemed slightly different from everyone else. Like he could understand what she was going though.

He seemed lonely.

...like her.

It's not like she needed any friends though. I don't need anyone, and I'm fine by myself.

That's a lie.

...and she knew it.

But if she ever admitted it, the lonely feelings would crush her beyond hope. She had to remain strong.

Sakura glanced towards the only source of light in the dark room that came from a small smashed window. As she tried to stand up, pain shot through her body once again and she stumbled backwards. She grabbed onto the grimy wooden wall for support. This place although new to her had never been cleaned in years. The funny thing was her Uncle always seemed to rent out houses with basements just to torture her with.

She hated the dark and the cold. It reminded her of too many bad things.

It was hard to breath.

Her low chakra was of no help to her now; she had learnt some medic jitsu's so that she could live another day, but there was too much work to be done to her body that she didn't know where to start.

She slid back down the wall, and fell into an uneasy sleep.

_Flashback_

_A young girl of 4 with dazzling pink hair ran around with her parents in the warm afternoon sun. Laughter rang out from the small family, everything from the smiles on their faces to the swaying summer flowers seemed perfect; like a dream._

* * *

**Normal POV**

The school bell sounded as the pupils of ninja academy headed home. Uncontrollable fan girls screeched and fawned over the school's heartthrob. The said heartthrob, Sasuke Uchiha wanted nothing to do with them, his one interest was to kill a certain man.

"Sasuke-kun, please marry me!" shouted a young fan girl who had rearranged her ninja outfit to expose more of her body, although there was nothing much to show at the age of 8.

Anyone could tell she was going to be a hooker in the future.

"No, Sasuke-kun, be my husband, she has loads of boyfriends" another girl screamed.

Once again another future hooker.

The said Sasuke's eye twitched, he had just about enough of these hags.

"As popular as ever I see, Sasuke" laughed one boy from his class.

Yer, that's right. You go on and laugh it up.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him.

If he ever got the chance, that boy would have been dead yesterday.

"Hey, teme lets go train; I will defiantly beat you this time!" Naruto shouted at Sasuke.

"…hn…" Sasuke muttered.

"ALRIGHT!" screamed Naruto.

"That wasn't a yes, you dobe" Sasuke muttered leaping onto the rooftops to avoid the yellow haired idiot.

God he was annoying.

* * *

**Sakura's POV**

She shuddered in fear. Noise of other life in the house had woken her. He was awake. She could hear footsteps coming from the room above, dust fell from the old floorboards. You would have thought he could have brought a nicer house.

Heavier footsteps joined that of her Uncle's.

Great

He brought home friends.

She had to get out of here, her Uncle's friends plus alcohol was never a good mix. Never. The pain from her body hand somehow subsided at the moment, she wouldn't question it; she staggered towards the window. It was high.

She looked around for something to stand on, and a saw a couple of boxes with kami knows what in them, they were probably left by the previous owners. She would have used her chakra but she needed to save that for healing after all her chakra reserves are nothing to be admired. After she had pushed and stacked a few boxes near the window, her shaking hands enhanced with the slightest trace of chakra to help her grip the window ledge, she heaved her body towards it. Suddenly light flooded the cave like cellar.

Fear spread throughout her body.

Sakura could hear her Uncle's voice conversing with one of his drinking buddies.

"Yer, I'm sure you will enjoy the bitch", he slurred, "she's just down here, I will get her for you".

She felt like my heart stopped what had he planned now?

Escape was the only option now.

She hurriedly smashed the window open a little more and pulled her body towards the cold night air. The sharp edged glass tore her old dirty clothes in places as she felt the glass pierce into her skin. It didn't matter to her.

She had to get out, he was coming.

He stumbled down the stairs, his vision slightly blurred.

"Oi, Sakura you whore, where the hell are y…" he stopped, he had noticed her," WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?"

His body advanced towards hers, he then growled and lunged at her. The drunken slob.

She screamed and struggled to get out the small window. Sakura felt him grab her ankle in his vice like grip. She thrashed her legs at him.

"Let go!"

He laughed and started to pull her slowly back inside.

"please…no…let go…"

Her body ached; the torture she had been subjected through had built up in her system. But she wouldn't give up.

Pain scorched though her, as she heard a sickening snap.

It was her ankle.

She quickly yanked it free with the rest of her energy and crawled towards her freedom.

"Sakura, you will regret this, if you are not back by morning, I will kill you" he spat at her from the window.

She whimpered and fled for the night into the forest outside the back of their house. Her uncle did not need to worry about the neighbours hearing as he had chose this rotting house as it was located in the poor downtown place of the hidden leaf village. The location was discreet. Screaming was a common factor in places like this, considering the type of people that lived here.

The small child hunched herself under a tree. Sakura took a quick look at her ankle. She shuddered. It was disgusting. It was turning a hideous purple, it was bruised and broken.

Kami, this is going to take a while to heal.

Sigh

Another injury was just added to the long, long list.

She looked up towards the starry sky, a light rain started to form. She felt tired and hungry and mentally and physically broken. She would have to find some food tomorrow, even though she knew there would be none in that house.

Like there would ever be any food in his house that she was allowed to eat.

And thus with that final thought Sakura suffered a pain filled sleep in the open night.

**

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**

Normal POV

**Saturday Morning:**

Tsunade sat in her office at her desk. She was pouring herself over a list of new students due to enter the ninja academy; one name seemed to stick in her mind.

Sakura Haruno.

The list said that Miss Haruno was supposed to arrive at school on Thursday, but according to all the attendance charts she hadn't come.

Strange

If she did not enter the school soon she would have to press the matters further.

**(The Streets of Konohagakure no sato (Village Hidden Among Tree Leaves))**

"Hey teme, wazzzzup?" Naruto screeched into Sasuke's ear.

Sasuke glared.

"Look Naruto someone's handing out free ramen over there" Sasuke exaggerated and pointed in a random place.

Naruto's eyes widened as he galloped off towards his _ramen_.

He sighed; Naruto was an idiot for falling for that, he would never be taken seriously as a ninja if he was that easily fooled. The weak idiot.

Dobe

Sasuke's dark locks fluttered across his face as he smirked, he had just finished training with a new fire ninjitsu.

He was one step closer to becoming stronger and killing that bastard of a brother.

* * *

**Sakura's POV**

Her eyes flickered open, her temperature was soaring. Her body was too weak, she tried to move, but it was useless. She remembered her Uncle's word's from the night before.

_Flashback_

"_Sakura, you will regret this, if you are not back by morning, I will kill you" he spat at her from the window. _

She had to move, she willed her body forwards. She knew he would do it, he always kept his promises. Besides that, she had promised herself that she would get herself out of this life; she wouldn't meet the same end her mother had. That was her nindo, to always keep her promises.

She slowly crawled towards the house, it wasn't far.

Sakura reached the back door, it creaked open.

A wave of dizziness hit her.

The over powering smell of blood and alcohol hit her nose, it made her feel sick. The red liquid was splattered all over the brown kitchen floor tiles. It was hers of course. It was suprising how far blood can spread.

She stumbled through the kitchen on her slightly healed once broken ankle as her ninja sandals crunched through the smashed wine bottles crushed into the ground. She gulped, hoping that if her Uncle and his friends were still around they wouldn't have heard her. Sakura opened the fridge, but to her dismay only found beer and half empty wine bottles. She then tried the cupboards for food, still nothing but mould.

Her stomach grumbled in disappointment. Well, she should have known better than to expect food in his house. Maybe she was just feeling lucky.

Ha. Her lucky?

She would have to find some nuts or berries in the forest, and maybe if she found a stream she could have a fish. Damn fish sounded good right about now. Sakura turned towards the closet that was her new room, but the move caused her to spit out blood.

She bit her lip from the pain.

She decided to ignore it.

She always ignored it.

She desperately needed medical attention, but nothing could be done about it. She would have to heal herself, like she always did. If someone were to find out her families secret from her injuries she wouldn't live to see the next day, and she had promised her mother that she would live.

Her breathing grew haggard, and she slumped against the so called bathroom door. She reached for the door handle and wobbled inside the dingy foul smelling room. She turned on the grimy rusting bath taps full blast until the tub was almost full up. However, the water was a putrid brown colour, Sakura sighed if she bathed in this her wounds would become infected.

Carefully removing the bath plug to drain the disgusting liquid, Sakura shivered at the smell and the feel of it.

Gross

Suddenly the door slammed open, Sakura's eyes shot open as she saw her Uncle standing there with an insane smile plastered across his face. How did she not notice his movements in the other room?

"Sakura I brought your mummy into the other room, I know you miss her, so why don't you go get reacquainted."

Not again, not again, please not again. These were the only thoughts to run through Sakura's mind.

The man was sick.

He roughly grabbed Sakura's tiny wrist in a bruising grip, and pulled her into the small rotting living room.

As her tiny figure stumbled forward, the black box came into sight.

Sakura froze her eyes wide as she took in shaky breathes.

The wooded chest had dark stains that had once dripped from the seams lid, and there were the claw marks made my human hands roughly ground into sections of the wood.

But the worst asset of this dark wooden case was the smell.

It was the smell of rotting blood, flesh and bones.

It smelt of death.

Tears filled Sakura's eyes as her hidden memories began to surface, that wood contained her hellish nightmares but also her precious mother. This is what she had witnessed, this was his secret; he had killed her mother and kept her body in that chest to torture the child the mother had unwillingly left behind.

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**Dun dun durrrrrrrrrrrr… okies next chapter will expl****ain a couple of things. I made Sakura and the others eight, but there will be time skips.**

**Bring on the reviews!**


	2. Life's a bitch!

**Author's Note:**

I do not own Naruto or anything to do with it, which is a shame really… Although if I did that would be like totally awesome!!! Okies so here's the next chapter rewritten; hopefully it will explain some important things. There will be some things left a secret, so you will have to try and figure it out until I tell you**.**

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**Chapter 2****: Life's a bitch**

Her sanity. Her soul. Every ounce of her energy had desperately hung onto life; not wanting to fade away in this unjust world, for the thought and hope of a better day tomorrow drove her forward. Her life was like a small flame on a candle, flickering every now and then threatening to be blown out. If only one person would glance at the small light in the darkness. If someone just noticed that shimmer of strength, her lying eyes, or that fake mask of emotions-they could save her from her demons of death. Namely her Uncle

When did people become so blind?

The gleam in her Uncle's eyes sent shudders down her spine.

"Uncle, why are you doing this? I didn't do anything wrong", Sakura whispered, she had to make more time, keep him talking.

"Did you ever love me?" she half muttered to herself.

"Your blood is dirty, mixed with that fool's blood. She was supposed to be mine! She loved me! That bastard stole her away. HA and the price for that little incident was his life" he spat at her.

"I don't understand, what do you mean?" Sakura whimpered. What was her Uncle talking about?

Of course in reality she knew about everything. He wanted her mother but she had chosen his brother. Jealousy is an ugly thing. He was raving mad with it. Years of resentment and hate had built up, he was emotionally unstable.

Sakura's dull green eyes studied his form. She wanted to run more than anything. Her reality was too harsh for an eight year old child.

Run.

Run, far away…

…and never look back.

She had tried so hard to tell herself to keep on living, the vivid nightmares still plagued her every moment of every day…the images of her mothers death had scarred her deeply. That chest. She knew that every time her Uncle brought it out she wouldn't be able to sleep for days, as the sickening reality of the cruel death of her mother hounded her.

He was sick. And she was sick, sick of herself, for not being able to do anything. She was weak. Her small, pale and shaking hands clenched her fraying trouser material.

"…Uncle, can we just be a family? I…I …let's start over again…ok? Please?"

He tipped his head back, staring down his nose at her. His narrowing eyes locked onto hers.

"…it's too late, sins that have passed cannot be erased no matter what you do or how you try to forget, they will continue to haunt me and you forever, if only you were my child then none of this would have ever happened"

"…what did you do?" Sakura was afraid to ask but she wanted to know the truth of her Father's death.

"…we were on a mission no-one suspected anything…" His cruel bitter laughter rang out," you should have seen his face, those eyes so fill of emotions like yours; I hate those eyes the most. Ha even when I look now I see his blood all over me…he begged me not to harm you or Kana; well you know very well what happened to Kana don't you. But look she's still here; do you want to see her? I have the key here if you do"he motioned towards the chest.

Sakura couldn't look at him. She bit the inside of her mouth; she wanted so badly to scream in his face, Bastard.

"I can't stand to look at you any longer" Sakura's uncle muttered.

She took that as her signal to leave, her Uncle was…reminiscing, tonight she might be safe for once. Sakura collapsed to her knees, her ankle had given out, cautiously she crawled towards the rotting back door, always glancing back and trying to sense any sudden movements that might come from her uncle.

"…use this, I hate that fucking her colour of yours, it's like hers!" Sakura blanched as her Uncle threw a packet of hair brown hair dye at her. It skidded across the floor and landed by her hand.

She stumbled picking it up and ran out of the house.

Sakura ran.

Her feet pounding on the earth, she kept running not wanting to stop.

She wasn't going to cry

No more

Not on the outside

No one will see the tears she cries.

Her small body carried her deep into the forest.

* * *

**A Few Days Later**

A young unknown girl made her way into the classroom for her first day. Not a single glance was spared towards her presents. Invisible

Sakura sighed and made her way to the back of the room. Her long now brown hair tied into a braid with side bangs covering part of her face. She still had a couple of bruises on her cheeks from last night so she donned on a black mask (like Kakashi's).

(By the way = her ninja outfit is baggy black trousers and long sleeve shirt. She also has on tight black fitting fingerless gloves that go over the sleeves up to her elbow, plus she has on normal blue ninja shoes. Moreover she has ninja netting top under her shirt that her mask links to.)

She took one glance around the room and it landed on a group of girls fighting over one boy. Her eyebrow rose. As the teacher entered the class became quiet.

Sigh.

'Finally, now I can have at least a little peace' mused Sakura.

* * *

**4 Years Later**

Nothing much had changed. The pounding got louder as the door started to splinter in places. It was night; Sakura slipped the bathroom window open. It was painful but she managed to get her body out. She was about to turn around to make her escape, but thick cold hands grabbed at her throat from the window.

Shit.

He had managed to break through the door and was now holding her throat in his filthy hands. Sakura struggled to breathe; she clawed at the hands keeping the air for entering her body. Trying to balance on her sore ankle, Sakura spun around her leg and kicked her Uncle squarely in the face. This action gained her freedom.

There was a sickening crunch. Blood spurted from his nose. She had obviously broken it. He started to wobble backwards and howl in pain. She smirked. Inwardly she scowled her ankle was always her Uncle's target he seemed to think it might stop her running away if he broke it.

"AAGHHHHHHH"

Sakura made her way down the dark alley. She tried her best to walk normally given her conditions. Huffing, she massaged her neck, her breathing started to steady again.

"SAKURA" roared her Uncle from the window.

She glanced back over her shoulder as she ran. She let out a sigh. This was her life.

Tears streamed down her pale face and soaked into her ninja mask, she hated her Uncle for doing things like this to her, but at the same time she still loved him. After all he was her only family in whole world. He was her family. And nothing she could do could change that.

In some disturbed twisted sense her Uncle was the only thing keeping her sane. He was the only person who acknowledged her existence. Even in the darkest of times; knowing she still had a family member left let Sakura be able to survive the loneliness and solitude of her world, even if he was worse than the devil himself.

Sakura's ninja shoes pounded the muddy pavement, she felt alone and hurt. Life's a bitch. She had yet to make a friend at the ninja academy, although gaining a friend would mean lying to them to make sure they didn't catch onto her dark secrets.

Lies were never good for relationships. Maybe friends weren't needed. But that in it's self was a lie, Sakura was lonely; all she needed was a friend. Just one friend would be enough for her to get up the courage for her to be able to leave her Uncle.

Finally, Sakura reached her favourite place in the forest. Her shoes had lost a lot of grip over the years but she still managed to climb the old gnarly bark. Wearily she pulled her exhausted body up the trees braches. Her clothes snagging on the jutting out twigs. It didn't really matter, of course, since her clothes were practically rags at any rate. Sighing, Sakura found her way to the top of the tree. Her dull emerald eyes drank in the imagery of the cloudy night sky.

There were no stars out, typical.

A light green glow emitted from her hands as she started to heal her body from her latest beatings. The bruises would still remain though.

"…Owww…damn this is going to take most of my chakra" she mumbled as she twisted her foot back into place.

"That son of a bitch" she frowned. She was tired.

Over the years she had spent countless days reading as much as she could from old medic books from the village library. Most of her efforts were fruitless however, as all the major reading material was kept in secured rooms which chunin levels and higher could only pass through. Most of the time; Sakura made up all her healing jitsu's as she went along. Altering her techniques and testing what results they had on herself.

If she was to be tested as a medical ninja, she would probably be more advanced than most of the professional medics in Konoha. After all, most medic techniques start from the need of healing methods, to the developing stages to the finished techniques. Sakura just had to learn most of the techniques the hard way.

Once she had finished healing what she could; Sakura settled down against the hard trunk of the tree, fully intending to find a little sleep on this cold night. For tomorrow would be a new day; where she would meet her two team-mates and Sensei, team-mates and a Sensei, this could mean more trouble. Sakura shifted into a more comfortable position on the bark. She would just have to be more careful.

If… that was at all possible.

* * *

**The Next Day**

Grumbling, Sakura made her way towards the academy. She had finally finished all her basic ninja training. And, yes didn't time just seam to fly by when you're having fun. Not. Once all the ninja cadets had settled, Iruka started to read out the list of teams. Bla blabla…

"…**and on Team 7 will be…Naruto Uzumaki**

"WOOOOOOOOO TEAM 7 RULESSSSS!!!!!!!"

…**Sakura Haruno…**.

"YAY SAKURA-CHAN WERE'RE ON THE SAME TEAM!!!"

"…that's nice" Sakura fake smiled. No one noticed.

…**and Sasuke Uchiha**"

"TEME, WHY IS HE ON MY TEAM?"

Sigh

"…**because, Naruto, you have the lowest score in the class and Sasuke has achieved the highest, hence this will even out the teams"** Iruka stated.

So much fuss. Sakura glanced at Sasuke. For some reason unknown to her she had always felt a strange bond with the boy. There was something about him that reminded her of herself.

His ebony eyes.

…emotionless

…and yet there was always still something there.

Anger and resentment, why? Although she had never once spoken to the boy in person, through this connection she felt towards him over the years her feelings had developed. It was only a small crush, it was only wishful thinking on Sakura's half to hope for something more. That could never be.

Her Uncle had forbidden her to allow anyone to find out the Haruno's family secret. If anyone did, she would be fated to end up like her mother and father.

The newly appointed Team 7 waited for their new sensei in the classroom, while all the other teams left.

He was late.

Sakura hoped that this wouldn't turn into a habit of his.

"Heh, watch this guys" Naruto chanted as he cunningly placed a blackboard eraser between the sliding doors. Once the new sensei opened the door, BAM, the eraser would drop on his head.

"…dobe" Sasuke muttered and he glared at Naruto. Why did such an idiot have to be placed onto his team? He didn't have time for this. A team would just slow him down.

"…teme what did you just say?" Naruto shouted as he bounded towards Sasuke, his prank forgotten about.

Sakura watched the whole seen unfold. With a thump the door was pulled aside and the eraser had successfully fallen upon its victim.

"HAHAHHAHHAHHAAA, I GOT YOU SENSEI!!!!"

All eyes turned towards the older male.

"My first impression of this group…you're a bunch of idiots"

Well that when down well, Sakura mused. Her new sensei stepped into the room. He had the obvious ninja attire of the village on, with a black mask covering his neck, mouth and nose. He had strange grey hair that swept over to his left side, and his forehead protector covered his left eye. All in all he thought he looked kind of cool.

Sakura raised an eyebrow; perhaps he had lost an eye in battle.

The sensei's gaze studied each of the students. Well it could have been worse he thought to himself.

"Up to the roof now, it's time for introductions."

Sakura meagrely followed her sensei and her team-mates. She stared at their backs, not knowing this is what she would be seeing for the next few years of her ninja life.

"SENSEI, you go first" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.

The teacher stared at the blonde blue eyed boy. His attire would defiantly serve the purpose of blinding any enemy foes on the battlefield. But really, what kind of ninja wears orange?

"State your name, things you like and dislike; dreams and ambitions for the future and hobbies." The elder male said slowly, tearing his eyes away from the blond boy before he became colour-blind.

"Fine, my name is Kakashi, I have things I like and don't like but I don't feel like telling you that. I never really thought about my dreams for the future. As for hobbies, I have lots of them."

"That's not fair, all we learned is your name" wined Naruto. He pouted as turned to glare at something more interesting. Such as a certain raven haired boy who was scowling at nothing in particular. Inside her mind Sakura rolled her eyes. At least being on this team would mean some amusement for once.

"Okay, next we will have the blonde with the weird face" He said glancing at the group of youngsters.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I love ramen, but I don't like waiting for the 3 minutes it has to cook, my dream is to become Hokage, and my hobbies is comparing and eating ramen. …And I also like training to become Hokage."

Well he's grown in an interesting way, Kakashi noted as he gazed at the young Kyuubi container.

"Next the kunoichi"

Sakura stared down at her feet. Ok I have to pull this off. I must be confident. There is nothing wrong. Nothing wrong. Kakashi's visible eyebrow rose, waiting for the girl to speak.

"…I'm Sakura. Well I like…erm some things, I dislike… _Sakura struggled not to scream out her Uncle's name_…well I don't know, about my dreams I don't have any…_although living would be preferable…_and about my hobbies I like reading…_well at least that part was true_." Okay well she seems a little weird thought Kakashi.

"Now the last boy"

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't particularly like anything, and I have a lot of things that I hate. I don't have a dream, but my ambition is to kill a certain man and revive my clan. My hobbies are training."

I hope that certain man isn't me, Naruto glared uneasily at Sasuke.

Revive his clan? Does he mean bringing them back from the dead? That would be weird thought Sakura.

"Now that's sorted. Your final test starts tomorrow." Naruto jumped to his feet looking enraged.

"But Iruka-sensei already gave us our final test, we don't need another one!"

Kakashi sighed.

"This will be the harshest training you have been through in your life. If you do not past this test then you will be sent back to the academy to restart your training from scratch." Kakashi's eye crinkled.

"You will meet by the team 7 training ground at 05.00 hours sharp. Be prepared."

"…oh and by the way I wouldn't eat tomorrow if I were you"

Naruto looked questioningly at Kakashi.

"Hmmmm, why is that sensei?"

"Because Naruto, you will probably sick it up from all the strenuous muscle working you will experience tomorrow"

Kakashi smirked under his mask, good they all looked scared. And with a big puff of smoke he was out of there.

Nobody ever noticed her; she just blended into the crowd and walked through the streets of Konoha. By a toy shop, Sakura could see some children younger than herself begging their mothers for a toy. She had never had a toy before that she could remember. Sakura bit the inside of her mouth making sure no tears would fall from the uprising memories of her parents.

She suddenly coughed. She looked down at her hands at saw a red substance of blood.

That can't be good.

Glancing around, making sure no one had noticed her. Sakura leapt on to the rooftops, heading towards her so called home. Ha, someone noticing her; now that would be funny.

Rain drizzled from the heavens. She turned her head towards it, welcoming the cold water on her hot body. Leaping through the air, Sakura glimpsed at all the families going home below her. Happily laughing with each other. Smiling in each others presences. Sometimes she felt so jealous she felt ashamed of herself.

The sun had begun to set, as the daylight faded through the clouds above Sakura, and the cool night air adjusted in the sky. She hadn't had the heart to go 'home', so she had been walking all night through downtown Konoha. Her body desperately told her that she needed sleep, but she ignored it. Her stomach growled and she felt light headed. But that was nothing new.

Sakura weakly made her way back to hell aka 'home'. She struggled to open the back door. The rotting wood seemed to be wedged.

Damn it all.

After failing to open the door, she knew the only way to enter the house would be through the cellar window. Sakura made her way around the side of the house towards the window.

A shudder of fear passed through her body as the window came into her sight. Sakura headed towards the window, she felt a lump rise in her throat but nervously gulped it down. She began to bend over, but soon regretted it. Sakura started to choke on the fresh blood pouring out of her mouth. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve. Sakura bit her lip from the pain as she wormed her way inside the house. Several years of vicious beatings really took a lot out of you.

Her feet reached the floor with a soft thud. The air was stale. Sakura slowly made her way to what was known as her room, but to anyone else as a cupboard. If she got up early enough she could fish at 4.00 and then meet up with the team. That only possible if her Uncle gave her a night off from the usual round of thrashings.

Luck, was all she needed.

Luck

But then again she was never lucky.

* * *

**Hey, please review. If you don't I will hunt you down and kill you!!!!!!!!****!!!!!**

**Only joking!****!! ;)**

**If you would be so kind could you let me know how you felt while reading this?**

**I would like to know what type of emotions my readers have felt, you know to see if my writing is achieving what I want it to.**

**Yep, so I just went through this chapter again altering it slightly in places and correcting some mistakes, when I look back at it it's weird to think that I wrote this, lol.**

**All reviews or comments welcome.**


	3. Weakling

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* * *

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Author's note:

I don't own Naruto damn it! Typing this really sucks.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Weakling**

* * *

**Sakura's POV**

It was early. 03.45: in the morning to be precise. Sakura had heard her Uncle come back a couple of hours ago, and as luck would have it he was drunk enough to go straight to his room and leave her alone. Maybe fate was for once on her side.

It was still dark, perfect for cover.

If anyone saw a young girl out and about around this time there would be eyed brows raised and questions asked. And in Sakura's case that is what she avoided the most. Sakura jumped from tree to tree a little awkwardly at first and then more gracefully once her body had started to warm up.

It was so quiet.

Just a rustling of the leaves made occasionally by a small gust of wind, it was so quiet and peaceful. On nights, well mornings, like this is when Sakura feels the most peaceful throughout her hectic life. She felt as though it was just her against the world. Nobody watching her, judging her, or criticizing her, in moments like these she felt free.

With a thud Sakura landed on the soft earth. Scanning the area for any signs of life, she walked towards the stream. A pale glow was reflecting from the water, and the trickling and swashing of the cool blue water seemed to almost have a claming effect on her soul.

Taking out one of the very few kunai Sakura had left she infused some chakra into the soles of the shoes and gently walked across the water. Then crouching down bringing herself closer to the water Sakura waited for her breakfast to make their move.

Come on little fishes, Sakura chanted in her head.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on you mother fucking bastards or I swear I will come in there and get you myself.

Damn it.

Stupid fish are probably deaf.

…Wait do they even have ears?

After half an hour of waiting, not so patiently Sakura managed to catch, cook, and eat 3 small fish. Pathetic fish, not so high and mighty now are we? Sakura gloated while poking her stomach. After her little rant about her own supremacy over the invertebrates she had just enough time to take a dip in the cooling water. Taking off her shoes and placing them at the side of the small river. She gathered her clothes into a bundle to take them wit her to wash.

Her pale perfect skin stood out like a sore thumb against the darkness of the forest. No one was around to see her, so she didn't care if she stuck out or not. The water was much colder than Sakura had anticipated. Never mind. She would just have to cut her little bath short.

Quickly washing the clothes and rising herself off in the water Sakura swam back to the river bank. Jumping a little Sakura felt something brush past her leg.

Hoping that was a just a fish, she dressed herself in her now soaking clothes and slid on her ninja shoes. Hastily she formed some hand seals which in turn created a tiny barrier around her body and then heated the air.

She smirked thanking her luck when she oh so happened to stumble across the book of easy fire jitsu's that allowed her to create her own technique to quickly dry something aka herself, since she had to bathe like this most of her life. The technique itself was designed to let the user infuse their own chakra into the air surrounding them to a certain extent, then using a slight fire jitsu the user cold warm the air that the chakra has settled in.

Checking her appearance, Sakura leapt into the trees once again and took off into the direction of the team 7 training ground. Sakura made her way slowly to the meeting place. Be prepared is what Kakashi-sensei had said. But how the hell can she be prepared? With no money to buy new training equipment or weapons.

Her fucking Uncle never gave her any money, and the only reason he let Sakura be a ninja in the first place was because they get good money through the missions and that would mean more money for him. Heh, and he probably thought she would die if she ever went on a mission, which meant one less problem for him. The bastard.

* * *

Arriving at the appointed destination Sakura saw that Sasuke and Naruto had beaten her there.

"SAKURA-CHAN!!!!" yelled Naruto.

Oh my god, how can someone be so noisy at 05.00 in the morning?

"hi guys" Sakura replied.

Naruto bounded towards Sakura and gave her death-defying hug. Sakura froze on the spot. Trying with all her might not to scream out in pain.

"Dobe, you are going to kill her" muttered Sasuke not even bothering to look at the two idiots.

Sakura visibly paled once Naruto had let her go. Naruto muttered an apology while scratching the back of his head whilst supporting a large smile on his face.

"Just don't touch me" Sakura glared at the boy.

"I said I was sorry Sakura-chan lets be friends, ok?" Naruto apologized once again.

Friends.

That word had hit home with Sakura. Did he really mean that? Should she be friends with him? It will only cost her more trouble in the long run, but Sakura doubted she had long left to live anyway and she had always wanted a friend. Sakura stared at Naruto. He wanted to be her friend.

A small genuine small tugged at her lips under the mask.

"ok" Sakura whispered now looking down at her feet feeling embarrassed. However, Naruto had heard it and held a giant grin on his face.

"Did ya hear that Teme, me and Sakura-chan are now friends, you're not her friend! That means I beat you!"

Sasuke was disgusted but Naruto's stupidity, how the hell does that mean that he had won against him. No one can beat Sasuke Uchiha.

Naruto now victory danced around Sakura, while she in turn felt slightly uncomfortable with all the attention. But at least one of her wishes came true. She now had a friend, for the first time in her life.

* * *

The task Kakashi had set was for the youngsters to try and take two bells off him by noon; however the key word there was 'try'.

Sasuke had lived up to the Uchiha name by touching a bell, Naruto the number one knuckle headed ninja had fallen into many of Kakashi's obvious traps as well as going head on into battle with him, and Sakura tried to stay out of the way as much as possible.

In the end, team seven had managed to pass as they had figured out Kakashi's hidden message: to work as a team and never betray each other.

We three are one.

* * *

"Sakura-channnnnnnnn, do you want to get some ramen?" Naruto pleaded to Sakura after Kakashi had dismissed them.

"…erm well I don't know…" Sakura replied.

What should she tell him? She can't go because her Uncle wants fucking beat her up so that he feels better with himself? Or, that she has no money and that she doesn't actually know what ramen tastes like?

I think not.

"come on Sakura-chan I will pay for you" he had now broken out the puppy dog eyes.

Shit, I can't say no to that look, and well I will never say no to a free meal.

"Ok, I suppose I can eat ramen with you" Sakura sighed trying to make it look as though she would rather not be there.

"YAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!".

"Come on teme, let's go"

"…dobe"

"what did you just say you teme?"

"d-o-b-e"

Naruto glared at Sasuke. He was soooooo going down.

"…cough…" Sakura tried to gain their attention.

Sasuke snapped his eyes in her direction and glared. OK bad move Sakura. Sakura shuffled nervously and stared at her feet.

"…er Naruto aren't we suppose to eat ramen?"

"OH-YER, LET'S GO!"

* * *

Naruto as usual ordered several bowls of ramen.

Sakura stared at the boy in question. How can he eat so much? I have never eaten the much before in my entire life! Heck, I think he had just eaten what I eat in total for a month.

Too many flavours, Sakura sighed, she felt slightly sick.

Sasuke had sat silently throughout the whole meal only occasionally looking up to glare at Naruto for his stupidity, and not to mention his weird female team mate.

She was weak, he could tell.

Fuck, she didn't even try to get one of the bells, she only tried to escape for Kakashi and she still got caught in his genjitsu.

Why the hell was someone like that on his team?

Why the fuck was she a ninja in the first place?

Fucking weakling

* * *

"Naruto, thank you for the food, I have to go now" Sakura mumbled.

She was slightly embarrassed.

That simple word: Thankyou. She had never thanked anyone before for giving her something.

"okies, Sakura-chan I will see you tomorrow for training!"

Naruto smiled widely at Sakura.

She was a little quiet but he still liked her.

Although, he wondered why her parents had named her Sakura. She wore all black, had brown hair, and you couldn't see any of her skin except from half her face and hands. Not flower like at all.

"Neh, why is your name Sakura" he asked the girl with a slightly confused expression.

Sakura blushed underneath her mask.

She couldn't tell them that her hair is naturally pink, could she? That would just lead onto questions. Then they might find out her secrets.

She put on a fake smile and told a small lie.

"Well, my Dad loves the flower so he decided to name me after it. I really have to go now he she be waiting for me at home. Hah ha you know parents; they don't like to be kept waiting"

Sakura waved to them with a plastered on grin and ran off down the street.

Unknowingly, she had caused the boys pain.

Parents, neither of them had family love in their lives any more, and she still has a family.

She doesn't know true pain.

Sasuke glared at the direction she had ran off in.

No wonder she's so weak, being surrounded with family.

He hated naïve people like her, who knew nothing.

He hated her every part of her.

Naruto looked dazed reminiscing in his lonely memories.

"Well, see you tomorrow teme!" Naruto pulled on a sad grin and walked down the street to his apartment.

* * *

The wooden door scraped open. Sakura peered inside the darkness. Her silhouette portrayed on the dusty floor from the outside light.

She griped on the mouldy door frame.

She had to stay calm.

She took a small step inside.

The floorboards creaked from their age. Everything in the room looked murky covered in shadows. She quietly brought herself into the room and shut the door behind her. It clicked softly back into place.

She breathed in deeply to steady her nerves.

Sakura took another step into the room.

Her green eyes glanced around the kitchen, and then into the adjoining lounge. She narrowed her eyes slightly she had always hated the open plan style of this house.

Creak.

Sakura snapped her head towards the adjoining room.

Her heart pace quickened. Sakura's eyes widened.

Her green eyes locked onto the darker green eyes in the shadows.

They stared at her.

Her body had frozen itself to the spot.

Fuck.

So much for all that loving family crap.

Fucking lies.

* * *

**Please review.**

**God I was actually starting to scare myself at the end!!!!!!! ^_^**


	4. Liar Liar

**Author's note:**

If I owned Naruto, Sasuke wouldn't be such a bastard in the manga.

Oooooooooooooooh the suspense!!!

* * *

**Chapter 4: Liar Liar**

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**Sakura's PVO:**

"I saw you Sa-ku-ra"

His eyes held a mad glint to them. Sakura edged backwards.

"Saw what?" she whispered.

Creak

He took another step towards her.

"I saw you with your new friends"

"I don't have any friends" Sakura inwardly grimaced. Had he been watching her with Naruto and Sasuke?

Oh god.

What if he normally watched her? What if had always been hidden in the shadows, knowing everything she ever did? When did he start watching her?

When?

How?

Why?

He grinned. Sakura bit her lip under her mask. Dauntingly he took another step forward.

Sakura now inwardly panicked. Tripping on a loose floorboard Sakura fell to the ground.

Dust rose in small clouds around her momentarily blocking her vision and breaking her eye contact with those dark green eyes. Sakura stumbled to get up, but a hand suddenly shot out in front of her.

Her breath hitched in her throat. His hand latched onto her neck and yanked her upwards.

Sakura's hands flew to the wrist of her captors arm trying desperately to remove it from its death grip. Nails dug into her skin though her mask.

Gasping for air, Sakura kicked her Uncle's shins. Her eyes searched his own; begging him for mercy.

"…l…let…go" Sakura struggle for breath.

He held a sadistic smirk. Slamming her body against the wood, he let out a howl of laughter. A trail of blood trickled down that back of her head.

He was like the devil.

No…

…he was the devil.

"Now Sakura, what if someone found out our secret?"

Our secret?

He was in the wrong.

She was innocent.

She was only his secret keeper.

She hadn't done anything wrong, except from lying to people so they wouldn't find out HIS secret.

"If you have friends Sa-ku-ra they might find out, and you wouldn't want that would you?"

"They would think you're disgusting"

He plastered a sad smile on his face.

"…they wouldn't understand Sakura"

"all those lies you've told people, you naughty girl"

He stroked his dirty hand down her cheek pulling the mask out of the way.

Her pale delicate skin exposed to him.

"You best behave yourself; you wouldn't want to wither away would you?"

She clutched tightly onto her silence fearing that if she broke, she would lose her life.

"…I'm sorry" she answered. He had loosened his grip. He trailed his hand down her face onto her shoulder and then down her arm.

He picked up her small hand in his own.

"Remember I'm always watching you, if you ever disobey again you will watch your friends die"

"They will be sacrificed for your life, don't worry you will love the feeling as you watch them collapse in pain before you. The look in their eyes will make you feel so **alive**."

Sakura stared at him.

Insane

…he had lost it.

He looked over her hand a few times, and then placed it on the wall above her head. Their eyes locked. Sadist dark green eyes met against confused emerald.

He bent down slowly, never breaking eye contact. Picking a large piece of smashed glass off the floor, he brought it to her eye level.

Sakura glanced at it and then back at her captor's eyes.

What was he doing?

Her question was answered seconds later, as he pierced the glass through her skin and lodged itself into the wall.

An anguish filled scream chocked out from the small girl.

He ripped the material clinging to her arm, so that he could view his work. It was so beautiful to him. Her snow white skin, the clear jagged glass cutting through her skin and veins; and the red blood contrasting against the snow white it was all perfect.

Sakura gasped out for air in short breathes.

Quickly glancing from her Uncle to her now limp arm pinned above her.

Blood flowed freely down her pale skin materializing like small twisting streams.

Tears filled Sakura's eyes. She bit her bottom lip, trying not to whimper in pain.

He grinned at her.

Moments later he repeated his act with her other arm earning him another screech of pain. It was like music to his ears. Beautiful, sick music.

"Now you stay there and think about what you have done young lady, I was very disappointed in your actions today and you will have to be grounded. No going out for you tonight!"

Sakura choked back a sob. She felt disgusted that she shared the same blood as him. Her blood soaked her clothes staining the dark material.

He patted her cheek in an almost fatherly manned. His acting made her feel sick.

He bent over and placed a light kiss on her head, her Uncle was playing games with her. Acting like a real parent would; well that's irony for you. She had always wanted a caring family, and look. She now had it.

Wonderful

"You have to be better than this Sakura"

He sighed.

"I'm going out now, don't go to bed too late" he chuckled at his own sadistic joke.

He slammed the door behind him.

Sakura heard his laughter become quieter the further he travelled away from the house.

She was now alone. Sakura whimpered.

She would not give him the satisfaction of her tears.

Sakura tried to mend some of the damage with a little medical jitsu, just so she didn't bleed to death.

He would love that, coming home and finding her dead pinned to his wall like some kind of ornament. Just like her mother, she was like a prize kept in a box.

"Arrrrrrrghhhhhhhhh!!!!" Sakura yelled into the dark silent room.

"…you jerk" she half sobbed to herself.

She wouldn't cry.

She wouldn't.

* * *

He hadn't come home yet.

Thank Kami

It was near dawn. It had been raining lightly since last night activities. She watched the rain drops gathering and running down the kitchen window.

Sakura had managed to sleep for a few hours even if she was pinned to a wall. After all what kind of ninja would she be if she couldn't even survive these types of situations?

Her blood had now dried like paint to her skin keeping the artistic way it had stemmed from the gashes in her arms. She had kept her word to her Uncle and had stayed there all night. But it wasn't like she could move all that much in any case.

Wincing at the pain Sakura tried to loosen her arms from the glass. The sickening sound of skin squelching against the glass echoed through the small room. Her eyes scrunched up from the feeling.

Finally she was free from the glass.

Her body piled limply to the ground. She pulled in her arms close to her body healing them in the progress. She glanced back at the wall.

The glass was still imbedded in it with her fresh blood glistening off its surface; the wall supported a large amount of her blood. It had dried downwards in streaks, like rivulets of blood.

Sakura sighed deeply.

Her current appearance would defiantly make people suspicious. They would probably think we were under attack by enemy ninja or something. Great, and now she also needed another wash in the river and a new shirt.

Where the hell was she going to get that from?

Sakura mused to herself. Maybe a little five fingered discount was in order.

* * *

Sakura walked slowly towards the bridge, which Sasuke was already leaning on. She inwardly blushed glimpsing at his apparent good looks.

She straightened out her new deep blue ninja shirt, which she 'borrowed' from an old woman a few houses down from hers.

She felt guilty for stealing the item of clothing, but it's not like she would notice anyway. That washing had been hanging outside for the last couple of weeks now and Sakura doubted the woman needed the shirt. Once Sakura had earned some money she would buy the old woman a new one.

Now standing the opposite side of the bridge from Sasuke, Sakura momentary looked at the said boy. She had accidentally caught eye contact with him. They stared at each other for a moment, before Sasuke glared at the girl, huffed and turned his back on her.

Well that's nice thought Sakura.

Sakura yawned behind her mask; her Uncle was probably somewhere watching her this very moment.

Creepy asshole

She would just keep her distance from Naruto and Sasuke. It was for their own good, she would protect them. Naruto arrived moments later still as happy as ever. He really was hyperactive, even in the mornings.

"TEMEEEEEEEEEE, SAKURA-CHANNNNNNNN MORNING!!!!!"

"hn" replied Sasuke.

Sakura just put on a fake smile pretending all was fine with the world.

"Soooooooooooo, anyone know where Kakashi-sensei is?" Naruto chatted away.

Sakura wanted to talk back to him. It was taking everything in her not to chat to her new found friend.

The boy looked so happy, and she wanted to be part of that happiness. To be in his warm light that he gave off, instead of always standing in the shadows. Perhaps Sasuke felt like that too? Her uncle couldn't be watching her all the time right?

She couldn't feel his chakra signature around; she should risk talking to Naruto, but what should she talk to him about? Having a friend really was hard work.

"er…mmh…maybe…he's late?" Sakura mumbled.

"Yer, that damn Sensei he better not make a habit of this! Did you see that book he was reading earlier? That's a book for perverts!!! Our Sensei is a pervert!"

If only he knew how right he was. Two hours, 15 minutes and 37 seconds later the VERY late perverted Sensei poofed in front of his three students.

"Yo"

Sasuke glared at the elder male, he could already tell that he hated this team of morons.

"YOU'RE LATE" hollered Naruto

Kakashi smiled at the boy.

"Well you see there was this dog that stole a child's toy and buried it someone where, and the Mother asked me to find it for her and well I just couldn't say no"

Now that's a really interesting lie Sakura mused.

"Sensei being a ninja you should really practise telling better lies"

Kakashi turned towards his female student she was quick to figure that out, well at least there is one smart kid in the bunch. Well two, since you have to count the Uchiha.

That just leaves the blonde. Kakashi smiled fondly. He had a lot of potential, as did the Uchiha.

* * *

They were currently on a d ranked mission: dog walking.

Sakura's arms were aching. They were sore from staying pinned to a wall all night, but she wouldn't let anyone know that. She couldn't. Fake smiling Sakura marched on like a true ninja. The pain was nothing she couldn't handle she had had years of previous experience.

Sasuke and Naruto bantered on at each other in front of her and Kakashi led the way around the forests. It was all like a big game of follow the leader, except Sakura's leader was her Uncle. He told her what to do and she couldn't disobey. She always felt weak against him.

Always

Kakashi glanced back at his little troop of dog walkers. Cute.

Naruto and Sasuke were shouting at each other; but seriously now that's what you call rivalry. Smugly Kakashi knew that Gai could never measure up to him even though he claimed to have the power of youth.

Pffff…what power of youth? Did he mean that green spandex suit he wore? It that was the power he claimed about there was now way Kakashi wanted it. But looking over at Sakura she had been quiet for a while now. Was she alright?

"Alright let's take a break here everyone"

Kakashi strolled over to Sakura who was patting the rather large dog.

There's no time like the present to get to know his small genins.

"Hey there Sakura, how are you doing?"

Sakura plastered on a smile under her mask.

"I'm fine Sensei, why are you asking?"

"You just seem to have something on your mind"

Sakura inwardly grimaced. Were here actions that obvious? That's just fantastic. Not.

_Flashback_

_He bent over and placed a light kiss on her head, her Uncle was playing games with her. Acting like a real parent would; well that's irony for you. She had always wanted a caring family, and look. She now had it._

_Wonderful_

"_You have to be better than this Sakura"_

He was right. She would have to be better than this.

"Er…you know just the usual girl stuff Sensei nothing to worry about, trust me"

"Are you sure?" She nodded. Perfect lie, guys didn't tend to want to know about 'girl' stuff.

"In any case, if you ever have any problems you can come and talk to me about them, ok?"

She hated this.

"Sure, Sensei, if there's something I can't handle I will come to you"

She hated lying.

It was like betraying them.

"Okay guys lets get going" Kakashi announced as he patted her head in a friendly manner.

Owwwwwwwwww, Sakura yelled in her mind. She had forgotten to heal that part.

Damn it

Thankfully the blood must have dried by now if the wound had kept bleeding after she had bathed it.

* * *

"We're now finished for today, but meet back at the main gates tomorrow at 08.00hours; we have another mission, c rank. I will tell you the details tomorrow. You're dismissed" Kakashi then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Say, Sakura-chan want to go on a date with me?" Naruto broke out his puppy dog eyes and pleaded Sakura. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the dobe, he should think about training more not dates.

Not in the mood for his idiotic ways Sasuke left his team to their own devices, it's not like he cared what they did with their lives anyway.

"Sorry Naruto but I have things to do" _Yer_ _like go have my daily beatings._

"Hmp! You probably like that teme don't you?!" he mumbled

Now if Sakura didn't have her mask on the whole world would have seen her blush. But thankfully she did.

"Of course not Naruto, don't be silly" She was a great liar, always a great liar. Sakura bid her farewells to Naruto and ran back to her house, weaving in and out of different alleys just to make sure no one could find her whereabouts.

This will be a long night once again Sakura thought. The house was right in front of her, every fibre of her being screamed at her not to go inside.

She ignored it.

She had to.

She pushed that god-forsaken door open.

He was there. He was always there. He would never leave her alone.

"Welcome home Sakura"

She shuddered visibly. He grinned.

"This time why don't I have you pin yourself to the wall?"

That wasn't a question, it was a statement. And she didn't even have time to answer.

* * *

**Hmmm…****I think I'm slightly evil.**

**All Reviews welcomed.**


	5. Wishing to be a cloud

**Author's Note: **

Don't own Naruto, if I did Karin would die very painfully (although I say that she will be in this story later yaaaaaaaaay, not T.T)

Question answers from some reviews:

**What would happen if Sakura forgot to dye her hair:** well she has been dying it for so long the colour won't come out that easily, also her team will find out about her hair all in good time, but since its related to all her secrets you will have to wait awhile for it to unravel.

**Happy times:** They will be some happier chapters and less of the gore from her Uncle I think I will change some of the hurt to more psychological damage. Yes I am evil.

**When will they see she is hurt**: well there will be hints, but something is going to happen soon, maybe chapter 7, they will have to find out themselves, but first I am building up the friendships.

**How come Kakashi didn't get blood on his hands when it touched her head:** Well the blood had dried at that point in time and you wouldn't have been able to see it since it kind of blended in with her hair.

**Will Naruto and Sasuke save her?** Well I haven't figured that out yet, but what ever happens, it is sure to be good.

**Her Uncle:** HE WILL DIE  but I am not saying how. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA

* * *

**Chapter 5: Wishing to be a cloud**

* * *

**Sakura's PVO:**

Sakura trudged forward in the morning light. Images kept flashing by of last nights happenings, she visibly shivered. Just forget and move on, she could handle this, she wasn't young any more. She was on the edge of adulthood now.

She was stronger now.

Sakura clenched her fist.

She could do this.

* * *

"Hey guys, so how long have you been here" Sakura mainly asked Naruto, since Sasuke was more than likely not going to answer her anyways.

Brooding Uchiha!

"Sakura-chan morning, the teme and I only just arrived. I can't believe this is our first real mission out of the village. I am going to kick ninja ass. Believe it!"

Oh you could defiantly say that Naruto was enthusiastic, maybe a little too enthusiastic, drugs perhaps?

Poof

And finally Kakashi arrived, and he was only 15 minutes late, it was a miracle. Sasuke bored of waiting started to walk out of the village not waiting for his team.

"Ok, lets go!" Kakashi smiled. The rest of team 7 took off following after Sasuke.

There first c ranked mission.

Finally

Sakura glanced back at the village. It became smaller and smaller. She bit her lip out of worry. She hadn't told him.

How could she?

It's not like she could just bring the subject up while he was…you know…hitting her and shit.

She sighed.

Just imagining how the conversation would go amused her to no end.

( "So…" punch "can i…" slap "go out of the…" smash, slap "village tomorrow?" mad scream, laughing, snapping and finally more laughing.)

ha

It really was funny.

Sakura felt guilty, she should have told him. She didn't know how many days this mission would last and she hadn't said a word. Not one word. She was dead.

And that was not funny.

"So, this is your first C ranked mission. No messing around unless you want to die" Kakashi warned the genins. Naruto gulped his eyes widened.

Sakura inwardly laughed at Kakashi's statement what she had been through was worse than death. Sasuke just glared at Kakashi, as if saying 'no one can kill me!'

"Neh, Kaka-sensei what's the mission about?" The sensei grinned at the multi-coloured boy.

"For a c rank it's pretty simple. We are going to the shores of the Mizu village to search and retrieve a hidden scroll." Laughing and running ahead of the group Naruto couldn't wait to find this so called scroll. C ranked missions were easy for him, and once he had completed it he was one step closer to becoming Hokage!

"That's it? I thought you said we were going to die? Unless the scroll is going to kill us! Hahahahahaha"

The rest of the team sweat dropped. He really was childish sometimes.

"…**however, **at the moment in time it is impossible too tell whether others teams from the other hidden villages are aware of the scrolls location, if they do know of its whereabouts there is a higher risk of battle and thus death, furthermore there is always the chance of rogue ninjas." Kakashi continued.

His three genins stopped in their tracks. He had said this was an easy mission.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled. "Don't worry I will make sure you all return in one piece"

"Hn" Sasuke stalked ahead of them.

Sakura let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

This mission was going to be something that neither of her classmates or herself had experienced before. This was real. They could die.

Sakura glanced at the backs of her team mates. There was no way she would let any of them die. She would protect them with her life.

She wouldn't lose her team,

…her friends.

* * *

They had been travelling for hours now, and let's just say the genins stamina was tested to its max.

"SENSEIIIIIII………..CAN WE STOP NOW PLEASEEEEEEEEE" Naruto had been begging Kakashi for over an hour.

The said man's eye twitched for the nth time. How could Naruto be so annoying? Oh how he would just love to choke him, but noooooooo that wasn't allowed. DAMN IT!

"Fine Naruto we will stop and set up camp now, happy?" Kakashi gritted his teeth.

Do not hit him, do not hit him, do NOT hit him. This phrase was repeating in his head for several reasons and for several hours. Sakura and Sasuke dropped from the trees to the forest floor preparing to set up camp.

"Naruto you go refill everyone's water, I'm going to scout the perimeter and set up some traps, Sakura you make the food when Naruto gets back with the water, and Sasuke you make the fire. Ok now move out."

Let's just say Kakashi really loves to be in charge. Naruto huffed and glanced towards Sakura, he really wanted to stay with her.

Stupid teme.

He could make a fire better than him any day. (Yer and burn down the whole forest whilst making it) After the team had carried out their variety of tasks they all sat around the fire, well apart from Sasuke who had perched himself in a tree above his team.

He wasn't into the whole bonding thing. Bonds were worthless in his books.

"Sakura-chan, why do you usually wear all black? It's really boring you know, you should wear orange like me!" Sakura narrowed her eyes at Naruto. He sure knows how to charm a lady.

"Naruto since I am a ninja this is a normal ninjas' attire, dark colours blend into the surroundings thus making it harder for enemy ninja's to spot"

She was a great liar, although it was party true about the whole black be less easy to stop and shit. But, it's not like she could tell them the real reason which was that she didn't own any other would only cause suspicion.

Sakura thought of a something to change the subject.

"Kakashi-sensei, why do you like porn so much?" Sakura asked the elder male.

Naruto burst out laughing.

"HA HA HA HA, BECAUSE HA HE'S A PERVERT HA HA HA"

Kakashi sweat dropped. Naruto had hit the nail on the head. Sakura glanced at Sasuke and saw he was smirking. She let out a giggle.

They finally seemed to all be getting along. It was great. Love may happen yet.

"Sakura, that was a very valid question, but I am not a pervert, you will understand the books depth once you're older"

"HA HA HAAA HOW CAN THERE BE DEPTH IN PORN???"

Naruto was now rolling on the floor in laughter. Kakashi scratched the back of his head, and Sakura started laughing a little louder.

This was the most fun she had had in years. She was actually laughing again.

"Come on now, it's much more than just porn!" Kakashi struggled to justify himself.

"YOU'RE A OLD PERV KAKASHI"

The look on Kakashi's face was priceless. The sensei huffed at his students he was going to ignore them; he edged a little closer to the fire. Naruto's eyes widened.

"AHHHH SAKURA-CHAN SENSEI'S TRYING TO MAKE A MOVE ON YOU" Naruto screamed out.

Naruto jumped up and dragged Sakura further away from their sensei. Tears from all the laughter started to form in Sakura's eyes.

This was so damn funny.

Why the hell would anyone want to try and make a move on her was beyond her.

She tried to catch her breath. Kakashi looked shocked at Naruto's outburst, he may be a pervert but he was certainly not a paedophile. He stood up.

"Naruto, I…I'm…not, why would…can you STOP LAUGHING?!" Kakashi didn't know what to make of the situation he currently found himself in.

Sakura and Naruto now holding on to each other edged away from the acclaimed perv.

"Sakura, I wasn't, I am not a pervert!" Kakashi walked towards his students trying to compromise with them.

Screaming Naruto hauled Sakura out of the sensei's path. It was now a game of chase around the camp fire.

"Sakura, Naruto stop this"

"PORNO MAN'S COMING" screamed Naruto

**THUD**

…

…

…

The three around the fire stopped all their actions.

They slowly turned around.

Three sets of eyes widened.

Sasuke lay sprawled across the floor before them, the result from laughter at which he lost his balance at fell.

Sakura snorted at the site. Sasuke picked himself up and dusted himself off, there was a faint embarrassed blush adorning his cheeks. He then individually glared at each of them.

Naruto pointed at Sasuke. He let out a howl of laughter whilst pointing at the raven haired boy.

Sakura grinned and then started laughing as well. She couldn't help but love his cuteness at the moment. Kakashi let out a good natured chuckle.

The laughing had yet to subside.

The prodigy Uchiha smirked at the others laughter.

Smack…

Naruto supported a bruise on the head thanks to the prodigy. With that smack the laughing fit and all other silliness had stopped. Sasuke passed the group and went to set up his sleeping bag.

"Ok, now that's over with lets get serious again, after all this is a mission. Naruto you take the first watch, then Sasuke, Sakura, and then myself."

* * *

Sakura smiled at her sleeping team mates, they looked peaceful. She leaned back against the tree in thought. She had secrets, many secrets.

But did they?

Did they ever feel hurt or loneliness? Did they hide their true feelings as well? She always knew Sasuke was different; she had a feeling that he was hiding something like her. But what? What it a type of pain that she suffered through too?

Sakura stared at Naruto's sleeping from. He always seems happy, but at times he shows such a sad expression. Sakura wanted to know more, her thirst to know about her team each and every day she spent with them. She couldn't help herself although her actions would damn her when her Uncle found out, and he would, he finds out everything.

Even though she had to hide her true self, she wanted to know everything about Naruto and Sasuke, perhaps Kakashi as well. She wanted this so much.

To feel so close to someone, to know them as well as they do themselves. She craved it.

It was like a hunger to fit in somewhere, to fit in with someone. She needed this.

* * *

"We're nearly there now, just beyond that mountain lies the village." Kakashi nodded towards the mountains.

Sakura sighed once again. Sasuke and Naruto had been squabbling like crazy; if there were any enemy ninja in the vicinity she was surprised they hadn't heard the twos' shouting. Well at least they were comfortable enough around each other to be themselves.

Sakura leapt off another branch. She smiled; she actually managed to have a nice sleep last night, although she had to sit on guard in the middle of the night.

She felt better than she had in years. Sakura stared into the distance at the clouds above the mountain.

They were so nice.

They were free.

Free to travel around the world, watching over everything.

It wasn't fair.

Sakura wished to be a cloud, going where ever the wind takes her.

* * *

Team 7 was now deadly silent. They were passing through the mountain terrain.

Kakashi had sensed three high level chakra signatures ahead. They were getting closer by the minute.

Kakashi kept up a cool façade; he would keep everyone alive at all costs. His mind raced calculating plans.

The team were currently hiding in the undergrowth of the forests, hiding their own chakra, and preparing to face what ever may come there way.

The bushes rustled. They were here.

The enemy seemed to not have sensed them yet.

Closer and closer

A twig snapped. Everything went silent.

Sakura turned her head and glared at Naruto. That idiot, he could have just blown their whole cover.

He grinned cheekily and pulled the twig out from under his foot.

He was never good at being quiet. There was another snap.

"…Naruto!" Sakura whispered.

Sasuke death glared at the boy.

"Sakura-chan it wasn't me that time"

Kakashi joined in the glaring contest.

Apparently whispering wasn't in Naruto's forte either.

"Naruto that so was you" Sakura hissed back.

"It wasn't me!" Naruto's eyes pleaded with theirs.

"**No, it was us"**

That last voice was deep and creepy, and it defiantly didn't belong to Naruto.

Crap

Team 7 froze in their places.

Eyes widened.

Breaths hitched.

Time seemed to stop, the voice had echoed from behind them. Kakashi's gaze averted quickly from the yellow haired boy as he took a defensive stance ready for battle.

Sasuke leapt backwards away from the new danger, whilst Sakura and Naruto stumbled back and outside of the bush.

So much for the element of surprise Kakashi concluded, his team would need further training once they got back to the village.

They were the ones that had been cornered like pray. The chakra signatures that Kakashi had sensed earlier had suddenly vanished, it was all a decoy.

They must have known about them all along.

Shit

Now they must fight. He knew they weren't ready for this yet.

* * *

**All reviews welcomed.**


	6. Subtle Puppeteer

**Author's Note:**

Don't own Naruto but I do own the storyline. NINJA'S!!!!!!!!!!!!

* * *

**Chapter 6: ****Subtle Puppeteer **

* * *

She felt useless, truly and utterly useless. Sasuke and even Naruto of all people had helped Kakashi take out the enemy Nin, and she could do nothing. Kakashi had managed to take down the leader in a few short moves, their apparent power had all just been a show.

One of the underlings had escaped the boys and had cornered her against the rocky cliff side; she had fled the battle trying to escape the enemy Nin that was following her. A smirk was plastered on his face; he knew he had an easy target, the weakest target. Sakura backed up further she was no alone, the rest of Team 7 were about half a mile back still engaged in battle with the last remaining enemy in their sights.

"So girl, we finally found you, your friends have given my team more trouble that I originally anticipated, but the trouble is well worth the money" He grinned.

What? They were paid to do this, they weren't after the scroll, but were after her? Her Uncle! He has to be behind this.

"…My Uncle paid you to…hunt me down?"

That fucker…

"Oooh you're a clever girl aren't you, I'm sorry but as your Uncle is currently back in his village so he cannot punish you, instead he paid me and my team to punish you for him, wasn't that nice of him!"

No it certainly damn well wasn't.

The rogue Nin had pinned the small girl down and enjoyed every second of hearing the bones in her arm crack as he stamped down on it, such easy pray and here he thought she would have been more of a challenge. She winced at the pain but did not scream, she would not give him the satisfaction.

Sakura had tried to escape, to try and make it back to her team, but the Nin had been too fast. She hadn't encountered his speed into her plan of escape.

She smirked up at him; his version of torture was nothing in her books.

"You do realise when my team get here your dead meat" Threats weren't her strong point, but she still wanted to prove to the idiot above her she wasn't scared by him.

"Fucking bitch" The Nin pulled her braid so that she was dangling in front of him. Apparently her insults weren't as bad as she thought as the rouge Nin was now fuming at her.

In any other situation it would have been quite funny for Sakura to see a grown man become angered over an insult from a mere child at the age of 12.

Her eyes narrowed, and she spat in his face, she had had enough of him. Even if her team weren't here she could still at least try and protect them. She grabbed onto his arm holding her up trying to ease the strain on her hair.

He back handed her.

Blood rose in her throat. She glared at the man. She didn't know what her Uncle had told him but her team were not about to find out about her life, as that would give her Uncle all the reason he needed to destroy them. Her team would not end up like her broken lost family.

Her mind was set.

She had to kill him, if word got out to her team that the rogue Nins were paid to go after her, they would find out she had been lying to them. They would ask her questions that she couldn't answer. Would they believe in her any longer?

No, they defiantly wouldn't trust her.

And their trust and dare she say friendship was not something she was willing to part with.

* * *

"SAKURA-CHAN DON'T WORRY I'LL SAVE YOU!"

* * *

Backup had arrived, but was too late.

She didn't know what had come over her; the thought and anger of her team being threatened had triggered something inside of her. He was dead. His body perfect on the outside apart from his surprised anguished facial features, he looked like he might have died from shock, but Sakura knew different.

Anger had coursed through her body. It had run in her veins filling her heart with venom that she used to kill the son-of-a-bitch. She had never felt anything like it; it had left her breathless and slightly stunned.

Her body had moved without her knowledge. Like she had become a puppet controlled by the hands of an invisible puppeteer.

Her hands had formed the signs of an unknown jitsu. Had she learnt that jitsu before, no she hadn't, she had only read about it certain aspects of it, but never once practised it them together.

It was a combination of a healing technique and a fire jitsu, and she had never seen or heard of anything remotely like it. It was a new jitsu.

Wordlessly she had touched the Nin when she had completed the hand signals and he had collapsed like he was exhausted and could no longer hold his body up right. Her jitsu had spread throughout his body burning every chakra point in its path. It was like wild fire burning his insides. And she witnessed it, from the pain portraying from his features to the way he clawed his body for the jitsu to be somehow released from him.

Stunned she sat there watching her technique envelope his body. He was dead in a matter of seconds.

Kakashi arrived minutes later flanked by Naruto and Sasuke, no one had a scratch on them that proved they had ever been in battle, they had arrived to find a shocked Sakura sitting by the Nin's corpse.

It was indeed strange.

Sakura had proven to be the weakest in the group, so if that was true how could she have taken out a rouge Nin single handily?

In any case Kakashi had congratulated the shocked girl for her work; he helped her up, and ordered the team to carry on through the mountain pass. He wanted to reach the inn in the village before night fall; he planned to get the answers he wanted from Sakura then.

Rogue Nins' were not uncommon in these parts, but those Nin were a little too eager to kill his team, and it was apparent that they had been waiting to ambush them.

Did they know they were coming after the scroll?

Kakashi went through hundreds of theories of the Nins' reasons for their appearance before them while they travelled; he glanced at Sakura occasionally, and found what he was looking for.

She had all the signs of a subject withholding information.

* * *

**The Kaze Inn**

**(In**** the village hidden in the shadow of the mountain)**

Kakashi looked over her arm, the bruising looked too developed for a bone that had only been broken hours before. Something here didn't add up. Sasuke and Naruto were currently visiting the hot springs the inn offered while Kakashi sorted to Sakura's needs, she had insisted that she was indeed fine, but his knowing eyes told him otherwise.

He arm had been broken, but it was not fine.

Could someone have done this to her?

Kakashi was however impressed at the young girl's self control when dealing with pain; she had managed to retain excess emotions that only hinder a ninja's mission. He glanced at his young genins face. She was avoiding his eyes. His earlier assumptions were correct. She was hiding something.

"Sakura what's on your mind?" She stiffened visibly, he carried on, "This bruising Sakura, is far too elaborated to just be hours old"

Oh, shit. How was she going to get out of this one? Could she lie straight to Kakashi's face? She would have to try.

"I…er…I…well I didn't want to tell you Sensei" she swallowed a lump that had arisen in her throat. Damn this was harder than she thought.

"Go on, you can tell me anything in complete confidence, if you need help in anything Sakura, your team are here to protect you."

"…I…really wanted to go on this mission Sensei, but I was training late one night…and injured my arm rather badly, I didn't want to say anything because I thought you might stop me from coming on the mission if you knew I wasn't capable."

She was going to hell for this.

"You injured your arm while you were out training?" He seemed a little unsure whether to believe this tale or not.

She had to elaborate further.

"I'm sorry Sensei, it's just that, well, I was trying to catch up with Sasuke and Naruto, they, are so much better than I am, I feel…weak when I compare myself to them, I want to help the team…I don't want to be a burden, I thought that more training might help…"

Kakashi shook his head. So, it was all about her wanting to catch up to Sasuke and Naruto, she didn't want to be left behind.

He patted her on the head in sympathy.

She should win an award.

Lets see her Uncle try and hurt her team now when she had covered up his handy work with such a perfect story.

Her Sensei looked at her, and what she saw in his eyes was that very emotion she didn't need, pity.

"Sakura, you shouldn't train by yourself, especially late at night, you could have been seriously hurt more so then you already have been. I don't deny that you might feel left behind when compared to Sasuke and Naruto, they are (_**how do I put it gently)**_special and they have far greater chakra resources, although you do have the best chakra control your resources are far more limited. You should think about building up your chakra before continuing your training if you want to try to catch up to them."

Sakura nodded her head in pretend defeat, her Sensei had brought it; she grinned inwardly.

* * *

Hopefully her Sensei wouldn't push the subject any further; he had healed her arm with a small healing technique and told her to get to bed early as they had to set off again in the morning for the scroll.

Thankfully the Inn had supplied guests with sleepwear that they provided in each room. Sakura had taken a long bath and changed into the white robes. They were soft and smelt like flowers, she grinned happily to herself; the inn was like a small version of heaven.

She hadn't dared go into the hot spring in case of anyone seeing her scarred body, which would raise questions about her safety. She had left her mask off and let her hair down, there was no point in wearing the mask as her Uncle hadn't left marks on it for weeks. But just to make sure before she had left the bathroom she had checked over her appearance several times in case of any of bruises were exposed. The sleepwear covered her well.

She smiled.

She had settled into her futon as her body begged for rest. The technique she had used earlier had taken more out of her than she originally thought.

"Sakura, can I come in?" The voice was slightly muffled as it carried through her door.

Her eyes had widened at the question.

It was Sasuke, what was he doing outside her door?

"…er…sure" This was completely unexpected, she blushed, Sasuke wanted to see her.

She glanced up at the boy who had made his way into room and now stood a mere meter from her futon. Oh god, she was getting nervous.

His black eyes stared down at the girl, she looked…different…more feminine.

"Wh…what is it Sasuke?" Her heart was pounding. Her crush was right there in front of her, if she wanted she could reach out and touch him.

"…Your arm" He was uncomfortable showing emotions to anyone, but maybe just this once he could show he cared.

The words confused Sakura, her arm? Sasuke saw that confusion in her eyes and sighed, girls sure were hard work. Why couldn't she get it already that he was asking if she was ok? Annoying.

"Is it ok now?"

Someone actually asked her if she was ok.

Sakura was shocked; she…didn't know what to say. Sasuke cared enough about her to ask how she was.

She chuckled inwardly; it was like her dream was being played by reality, the dream where Sasuke showed emotion towards her.

"Don't get the wrong idea I just don't want you slowing down the team." He's a liar Sakura thought. That's not what you really mean, she could tell, the tops of ears were tinged pink.

Damn her for making me explain so much.

"I'm fine Sasuke, thanks for asking" she smiled at him, finally some emotion other than sadness crept up into her. Sasuke had made me something I hadn't felt in years and that I thought was lost forever.

He felt embarrassed, and could only think of leaving once he had found it if she was alright, if he stayed any longer he might say something which he would later regret.

"Good, bye" He left rather abruptly. Sakura frowned; she wanted to spend more time with him, he was starting to show his real self towards her. In time he might even accept her as a friend.

…and maybe her affections towards him would be answered to.

Sasuke stormed back to his own room.

That girl, since when did she have such a cute expression?

He shook his head.

Something was wrong with him, he never once thought of a girl being cute.

That Sakura, he growled, was messing with his head.

* * *

**Konoha**

The mission had ended effectively; Team 7 had preceded in the acquirement the scroll, and had met no further problems while travelling back to Konoha. The genins of team 7 had managed to complete their first C ranked mission successfully.

It looked as if Sakura's life was turning over a new leaf as her Uncle's message was all she received from him once she got back to the house. The message let her know he had taken a new job while she was away which meant it would be at least three more days until he was back. Sakura thanked the gods.

Her team-mates were even working together more productively. Sasuke had greeted her every morning since they arrived back in the village, which made her smile at night. She now had people in her life that finally cared about her.

To her utter surprise Sasuke offered to train with her later in the evening after they had completed another D ranked dog walking mission.

She accepted of course.

She was eager to learn more about Sasuke and deepen their bond.

She smiled as she waited. It was a secret smile hidden under her mask but her eyes gave her away to anyone who would walk pass.

She was happy for once.

As time passed her smile began to fade.

It had been hours since their agreed meeting time.

She bit back a sob as it dawned on her he wasn't going to come.

At midnight she gave up.

* * *

"I waited for you yesterday, but you…never came" _I needed you, _"Where were you?"

He had promised to help her train, but he never showed, she had skipped going home early so that she could train, she knew her Uncle was coming back that evening and that she would severely beaten if she was late, but she wanted to give her love a chance.

She didn't care how hurt she would be if in turn she got to spend time with Sasuke.

"I was busy" His words were cold and cut short. There was no explanation. She didn't understand, he had changed back to his cold demeanour, hadn't they shared a moment?

Why was he being like this?

What changed?

She was beaten that night she was late. Death looked like kind way out for her after her Uncle had finished.

* * *

**The Next Night**

She shuddered.

The rail hailed down on her body, her Uncle had been kind to her this time; he had only tided her up to a tree outside as punishment. Maybe he thought he had been to harsh to her yesterday. Or on second thoughts maybe not.

The rain stung like hell.

She laughed out loud into the night. Sorrow consumed her heart and had tore yet another piece out of her already tattered heart.

Stupid Sasuke.

Lightening lit the sky it was so bright for a moment it looked as if day had come early.

The roll of thunder followed shortly after.

Sasuke had let her down. She stared into the night sky tears streamed down her face, why had he done it? There has to be some reasonable explanation.

There had to be.

Her heart still longer for that idiot, she had opened it up for him to take and do with what he wished if only he wanted it.

She wished he wanted it for it had belonged to him for years.

She looked down at her soaked body.

She really was pitiful.

* * *

**All reviews welcomed. **

**Sorry it took so long to update.**


	7. A destiny to lose

**Author's Note:**

Naruto=not mine, Storyline=mine.

No one is meant to be alone.

* * *

**Chapter 7: A destiny to lose**

* * *

**It had been 4 years…**

…**since he left her, since Team 7 had broken, since she fallen backwards into hell…**

_**Flashback**_

Her tears streaked her cheeks, they were her weakness that proved to the world she was in pain, the boy who had taken her heart was leaving her, and she would lose him if she didn't do something.

Sakura had tried everything in her power to get him to open up to her, they had become closer, there had been a bond between them; she had felt it. Team 7 had been strong if only for a while, but Sasuke he had other things on his mind, she could see how he pushed others away further than before.

Things only got worse over time…

Sasuke had changed after the chunin exams he was colder, more power obsessed then ever, Sakura although to her dismay had tried asking Sasuke to eat out with her and Naruto; only he wouldn't look at her. He wouldn't have anything to do with his Team or her outside of training.

They were his weakness he had to shed in return for power.

Kakashi had talked to the boy and watched over his back since the chunin exam, Orochimaru had made his move giving Sasuke the cursed seal, and now he could only watch the cards fate dealt. It was not within his power to stop Sasuke, he knew that the boy had only revenge written on his mind, he just hoped the boy would come to him for help and not fall into the corrupt darkness of the seal.

That night Sakura had awoken as her heart cried out something was wrong, she felt unsettled, disturbed; her Uncle had forbidden her to meet up with her Team unless it was for missions or training, but she had to follow her heart.

…and she was glad she did for she found him about to leave her world undoubtedly forever, she had found him walking down the back path that would lead him away from Konoha.

"Don't leave Sasuke…you have no idea how much you mean to…Naruto…and the team"

He stopped in his tracks.

She couldn't say her name; she didn't want to be heart broken, but it was pointless her heart was already broken.

Did she have it in her to tell him her feelings?

She stared pleadingly at _his back,_ her love for him did not falter, not matter he had pushed her away. She could hear her own shortened breaths and the world seemed so small, so dark, and so hopeless, she felt lost with no path to follow. She had no where and no one to turn to as her heart was torn from her, it had after all always belonged to him, he just had yet to realise it.

"Why do you have to go?"

He didn't have to go elsewhere to become stronger, did he? She had realised after she had met her Team, that by having bonds you could become stronger, those bonds no matter how small and insignificant were powerful, they had forced her to grow stronger so that she could protect those precious to her, she had realised that after battling that rouge Nin in her first C ranked mission.

If Sasuke had those bonds he could grown powerful too…

With those bonds, with Sasuke, she believed she could overcome her Uncle, she believed she could be strong enough to ask for help, to escape from the devil. But…he wouldn't face her, was he even listening?

"Sasuke…please…I…_need _you, we all need you, we can help you become stronger here, Kakashi-sensei can train you; we all will help you, so you don't need to go"

The wind swept through the trees blowing their tresses in the breeze, he was silent; she couldn't get through to him.

"I can't lose you Sasuke, how can I make you understand?"

_Look at me, listen to me, Sasuke, please, you're my everything, I'm risking everything to tell you this tonight, I might die, couldn't you at least look at me once…even if it was to glare…please…my Uncle he…Sasuke…_

Her lip trembled, she was on the verge of tears, the boy she had given her broken heart to ignored her, it brought back painful memories. Her heart, her hope, her all, she had given it to him, and was left with nothing. She bit her lip to stop a sob from escaping, she had never wished for his heart in return for she knew it was too much to ask for, she just wanted him to accept hers.

…but he had taken everything and given her nothing in return, she was a broken doll, a heartless doll…a shell of something that couldn't have been the most beautiful of all…

…but he hadn't given her the chance to fly…

"I wish you would be happy…you mean the world…to me, I wish I could make you happy too, will you let me?"

Nothing.

It was now or never…

"I…don't know what I should do without you, Sasuke, please, I can't go on if your not here…I need you…I…I love you…Sasuke, I love you"

There, that was it, she had told him, she had let him take her heart completely, she had shown him her feelings that she had endured in secret; she had become emotionally defenceless for him, but she was losing the battle, he wasn't going to listen.

He wouldn't look at her, he couldn't her, he only needed power.

He wouldn't acknowledge her, bonds were for the weak.

No more…

He wouldn't accept her; revenge was all that mattered; she was nothing.

He couldn't waste time on 'friends' which he didn't need, this girl was nothing to him.

…she's weak…useless…pathetic…

"Sakura…you're annoying"

Blank…her cloudy eyes filled with tears locked with his, they showed nothing, nothing at all, no emotion, nothing she had said to had meant anything…so it was just her who had felt that way…_what a fool you have been Sakura._

The hot tears threatened to fall.

He was leaving.

"**Sas…Sasuke, pl…please…please don't leave me… I love you more than anything!"**

At this moment she didn't care of the consequences that would come from her confession, she would accept her due punishment from her Uncle without a fight, she deserved it, whatever he gave her, she was…useless…and…annoying.

…but she would regret it later if he left and she could have stopped him. She did not want her heart to be meaningless.

"**SASUKE IF YOU GO I'LL SCREAM!"**

He vanished from her sight and she froze her eyes wide.

He was…gone?

"…Thank-you…Sakura" He was behind her. He had always had unbeatable speeds she thought bitterly. The pressure point on her neck was hit, why Sasuke?

Her world faded, she was nothing to him, she was nothing…

…why I needed you?

She slipped into the uncomfortable darkness alone.

_**End Flashback**_

* * *

**Back to reality…**

_It was her own fault that she had tripped and fallen in love, but it was their fault she was alone, they had left her to be eaten by a devil._

Her broken eyes met the mirror; she couldn't even recognise her own reflection. She had changed since the day team 7 died, Naruto had left soon after Sasuke to train with a legendary Sanin and Kakashi had moved on, working closely with the Hokage monitoring the Akatsuki's movements.

They had all left her, her bonds that she wanted to protect…left.

…her Uncle had laughed psychotically…

"…_Sakura, my dear Sakura, your worthless, it's the reason why they left you, no one wants to know a fucking bitch like you, you'll just ruin them…"_

She had cried out Sasuke's name when she was left alone at night after her Uncle had finished his torture, but no matter had many times she had called he had never come, it was silly of her, he hadn't heard her when she was by his side, so there's no way he will ever hear her now when he was gone from the village.

…_stupid Sasuke…_

Sakura had quit being a Kunoichi, it was an obvious thing to do, she couldn't carry on with no team or mentor, she was now a normal civilian. She smirked, it wasn't like she had quit entirely, no that wasn't the case at all; she still trained in every spare second she found. She would not be weak, not any more. She would not be underestimated.

Over the past four years she had grown, she developed her own extensive healing techniques and had combined them with simple ninjitsu's at first, but then she toyed with ideas and allowed these simple techniques become stronger and more powerful, they were now unique like her.

…but no matter how strong she had become with physical power she was still mentally broken, no matter how she had grown she was still like a child frightened by the big bad monster under her bed.

Her Uncle was still her own private demon possessed with revenge, he hated her fouled blood, her entire being laughed at him as she was the produce of their love, the love of his brother and her mother, he would destroy that love at the cost of his own insanity.

…how pathetic…

The girl in the mirror had pink hair that trailed down past her waist; her bangs were dyed red with blood from the gash that splayed itself just above her right eyebrow. Her eyes were unsightly and animalistic, daring the world to make its move, the girl's eyes mocked her, they were cold and hard like emeralds; they taunted her.

She grinned, she had an intoxicating beauty, and the blood that coated her pale perfect body gave her a poisonous edge, _if you get too close you'll die._

Sakura leaned in watching how her delicate finger touched the girl in the mirror, they were the same; she was the girl. She glared in anger as she hissed at the reflection, her hand formed a fist and it connected to the mirror.

The clatter of the shards resonated through the tiny bathroom.

Sakura gave a bitter laugh into the now soundless area.

"Useless girl, no wonder they left you, you're pathetic" Her tongue tasted the red liquid that dripped from her knuckle and left her lips red.

She tensed from her musings; something had slipped inside her house.

Something wasn't right. She could feel the presence of an outsider. Silence. The girl moved like night itself, silent and deadly. She crouched down behind a counter; the intruder was in her living room.

Her eyes shifted to the shadows. Cold green surveyed anything and everything in her vision, was her mind playing tricks on her? Something was there. Wasn't it?

The floor board groaned.

Someone was there. She fumbled to find a kunai in the dark; she left bloodied hands prints on the floor, she had stashed her weapons under some loose tiling where her Uncle could not find them.

Her pulse quickened in anticipation, she had found what she was looking for.

"…show yourself or die, in fact why don't you just die?" she whispered to the being in her house as she rolled out of her hiding place and flung the small knife at them. It couldn't have been her Uncle in the adjoining room as he had only left an hour ago after he found out that he had consumed the entire houses alcohol supply, and of course he needed that alcohol to make her tortures all that more inventive.

Sakura prowled forwards her target pinned, she smirked as she performed her own hand signals; this technique was bound to be very painful, although she hadn't tried it on a human yet it did create the desired effect she was aiming for on a mountain lion. The lion had been suffocated by its own body, she had taken notes as she watched it choke out inaudible hisses and growls; the technique seemed to destroyed blood sells carrying oxygen hence the suffocation.

"Haruno Sakura, stop!" It was a clear voice, one of a female and it quivered slightly. She raised an eyebrow, someone knows her name? Her eyes narrowed as she cast a fire ninjitsu to shed light upon her victim.

The woman had red hair, brown eyes, concealed herself in a travelling cloak, looked to be around 20, and supported no village identification.

Just who had found their way to hell?

"How would one know my name and whereabouts? Speak now or great pain." A feral edge laced Sakura's voice and she loved it.

"S…stop, I'll talk, I'm your sister!" Curiosity nudged Sakura slightly so she withheld from her attack. Yes, curiosity had killed the cat, but she didn't give stuff about the cat. Curiosity wouldn't kill her, not yet. She would find out exactly what this woman wanted.

The said woman looked absolutely petrified, perfect.

"Liar, I have no family" She stood above the woman looking down at her, tilting her head she glared at her, begging her to lie again.

"I'm not lying, we're sisters, well half sisters, my mother, your mother had me when she was young, and I was put up for adoption. My adopted parents they told me of my mother and so I asked around for the Haruno family and ended up here.", the woman frantically muttered.

Sakura looked unimpressed.

"…and what type of people did you ask? There aren't any I know of who know where I live." Sakura smirked triumphantly inside she had caught the woman in her own web of lies.

"…w…well it wasn't really people, but one person, mainly, she, she can find people…it's one of her gifts."

Her laugh came out as harsh as ice. How the hell could this be true? And yet she saw no lie in this woman's eyes, she was…rendered speechless…she had a sister… It was, this whole situation was delusional. It was pure madness.

She had a sister, a sister…

She had family apart from her Uncle, this was what she had always wanted, wasn't it?

Then why could she feel…nothing.

No emotion…no sense of joy or happiness enveloped her like she had always imagined it would of have.

She felt nothing.

Her emotions had been spent, and her heart had been stolen, there was nothing she could give this sister.

Her fire jitsu extinguished itself and the two women were left in the darkness, Sakura could hear her sister's breaths they were quick unlike her own.

She was afraid still.

"…fine, I believe you, I'm not going to hurt you now, you can stand" With that said the woman stood obeying pulling the kunai out that had kept her attached to the floor, she seemed more at ease now that Sakura had believed her, but there was still something wrong with her.

Sakura could taste her fear.

"What's wrong with you?" she grunted in annoyance, she was serious when she had said she wasn't going to kill her…for now any way.

Her sister squeaked and fidgeted, her hands clammed down on her cloak.

"It's nothing, wait, no…um, is this where you live?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at her, "It's just that, I well, I think someone…died here, I mean earlier, well I heard glass shatter, and there…th-there's blood…on the floor."

"…**do you believe in hell?"**

_The devil lives in hell you know…_

This may have amused her but she couldn't believe how stupid she had been for not realising, she had a_ sister_, and _he_ was due back, she had to get her out, now!

Sakura pushed the woman towards the back door without hearing the woman's answer, time for this family member to escape from the devil that had cadged her, she may not be able to feel, but she knew that this woman did not deserve her destiny too.

"Listen you, we may be related, but this really isn't the time or place for you to be here, it was nice to have met you, but you have to go, and please don't come back it's for your own good." She glanced behind her, it was funny; she didn't notice the blood anymore.

"Wait, Sakura…I came here for a reason, I want you to come live with me, this, um person I asked for information, she told me my mother was dead but that I still had a sister who needed a home, that's why I wanted to meet you no matter what, and that's why I came with every intention of taking you with me…" she was cut off, "Sisters or not, it's unwise for you to stay here or for me to leave suddenly."

"…but, I want us to be family, please, at least let us talk more, I want to know you."

"That's not a good…" She was cut off this time to her surprise.

"Sakura, please, you're my only family left." The woman wined, Sakura's eye twitched, "Fine, we can…talk…tomorrow…at the red bridge at noon, now go."

She had managed to push the woman of the house and into the yard where the moon light shined through the clouds, she sighed, she couldn't give this sister what she hoped for, for she had nothing to give.

"OH MY GOD, what, Sakura your covered inn blood? What happened? Were you attacked? We have to get help!" Her sister grabbed her upper arms analyzing her body, she shuddered inwardly, it was weird for someone to touch her and for it not to hurt, too weird.

"Don't… fucking touch me." Sakura hissed as she roughly pulled back and stepped back into the shadows of the house, she didn't like people to see her like this.

"I…I'm…so-rry…I didn't mean…I only thought…"

Great, she had upset her, she sighed.

"Just meet me tomorrow, ok, and let's pretend you never saw me like this", why did she always have the worst of luck? How the fuck was she going to handle a sister with her Uncle prowling around?

"…ok, bye." Her sister looked defeated and disappointed.

_I'm sorry I'm not what you expected, I'm sorry for being so…pathetic…_

Sakura rubbed a hand against he face in annoyance, she was bound to regret agreeing to meet with her.

There was a pause before Sakura took a breath; she couldn't let her go like this…

"What's your name?"

The woman stopped. Her cloak swished round as she twisted back to Sakura, her hands clasped behind her.

"Hana" Her sister beamed back before she disappeared from view.

…so…she has a sister…

* * *

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**There you have it, comment if you wish…**


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